Today I will be in Paradise.
Easter - Even as a follower of Jesus it is hard not to be attracted 1st and foremost to Easter meaning time off work. A chance to relax with the family and kick back. No work for 4 days.....
Normally the lead into Lent is a season that can be used to reflect on who Jesus is and what he means to us personally, Lent is sadly perhaps more recognised today by most people as a season whereby we give something up.
This year I decided to give nothing up for Lent. Instead I chose to spend more time reading my bible, talking with Jesus, look to develop a healthier mind, body and spirit by abstaining from junk food, alcohol, TV & Paper news. Relax more, think better thoughts, spend more time with the boys and Sam, and generally chillax... Did I manage it.. ummmm, In part yes and in part no, did I fail, of course not, failure would only occur if I failed to take the positives even from the negatives. If I failed to recognise my weaknesses and learn to be better then yes, that would be a failure.
I could argue convincingly that Lent was a difficult season (perhaps my plans for Lent were the Catalyst!) I saw my wife Samantha suffer real health challenges which was difficult for everyone involved, discovering we needed to find a new home as the home we rent is to be sold, failure in the washing machine, Oven and central heating all adding to the challenges we experienced.
So what happened? Why were these experiences painful and debilitating to Joy??
The simplicity of the answer to that question is Jesus. I had failed to put Christ 1st in all I do. I had stopped meditating on his word in the mornings, I had stopped being grateful for all I have through him that gives us everything and I had struggled to trust him fully despite what it says in one of my favourite v's in Matthew 6 25-31
Incredibly I had learned to remain "upbeat" in myself but not without cost. My body soon brought me back to reality when I started getting a cold which seemed to go on for ever. I read once that God will allow what we need until it teaches us what he wants us to learn!
So what have I learnt this Easter?
Well here I am on Saturday where 2000 years ago Jesus was laid out in a Tomb during their Sabbath day. Even in his Death it seems Jesus still has something to teach about resting on the Sabbath. I spent this Holy week reading from the common prayer book and was amazed at the revelation it provided linked to some of the other books I have read of late such as The Power of Now, The Law of Attraction and The Secret, all non Christian books but all modern spiritual books that offer useful insights that if your mind is open to lays out details already documented in the bible. This has offered me a renewed confidence in what I read in its pages as this modern thinking, or awakening as is it described is all there.
For example: "defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul"
the books I have read testify to this explaining that what we think is of massive importance as what we think when believed we feel. What we feel has an impact on us and all we do both positively and negatively. What we feel with absolute certainty will come to pass. Maybe this is why Jesus often says "your faith has healed you"
They go on to say where we focus our thoughts is also of massive importance. To focus in the past or to project thoughts about the future are both wrong. All we ever have is now. God provides us with a beautiful example of this as we read about the exiling Israelites. Manna is provided daily as is Quail for food giving them all that they need to eat. Even the Lord's prayer offers us a sign post to this truth "Give us TODAY our daily bread. Now is all we have and it is here we should focus all our thoughts for everything else is an illusion.
Moreover I have come to learn that time as we understand it is different to how God understands it. Recognising that Jesus could see all that was going to happen, a theme that runs throughout the Gospels (e.g. Jesus telling Peter he will deny Jesus three times before the cockerel crows) demonstrates that he had already accomplished what he came to do. His purpose, a purpose made up of powerful moments were simply a living out as was required. With this in mind him dying on the cross did not happen for me 2000 years ago, it happens right now, right now I have been redeemed and right now I have a chance to live a better life with Jesus as my Captain, my master, my friend, my councillor and my saviour.
I shall leave the last word to Jesus who again points to this truth about today, not then, not the future but today when he says: this
Normally the lead into Lent is a season that can be used to reflect on who Jesus is and what he means to us personally, Lent is sadly perhaps more recognised today by most people as a season whereby we give something up.
This year I decided to give nothing up for Lent. Instead I chose to spend more time reading my bible, talking with Jesus, look to develop a healthier mind, body and spirit by abstaining from junk food, alcohol, TV & Paper news. Relax more, think better thoughts, spend more time with the boys and Sam, and generally chillax... Did I manage it.. ummmm, In part yes and in part no, did I fail, of course not, failure would only occur if I failed to take the positives even from the negatives. If I failed to recognise my weaknesses and learn to be better then yes, that would be a failure.
I could argue convincingly that Lent was a difficult season (perhaps my plans for Lent were the Catalyst!) I saw my wife Samantha suffer real health challenges which was difficult for everyone involved, discovering we needed to find a new home as the home we rent is to be sold, failure in the washing machine, Oven and central heating all adding to the challenges we experienced.
So what happened? Why were these experiences painful and debilitating to Joy??
The simplicity of the answer to that question is Jesus. I had failed to put Christ 1st in all I do. I had stopped meditating on his word in the mornings, I had stopped being grateful for all I have through him that gives us everything and I had struggled to trust him fully despite what it says in one of my favourite v's in Matthew 6 25-31
Incredibly I had learned to remain "upbeat" in myself but not without cost. My body soon brought me back to reality when I started getting a cold which seemed to go on for ever. I read once that God will allow what we need until it teaches us what he wants us to learn!
So what have I learnt this Easter?
Well here I am on Saturday where 2000 years ago Jesus was laid out in a Tomb during their Sabbath day. Even in his Death it seems Jesus still has something to teach about resting on the Sabbath. I spent this Holy week reading from the common prayer book and was amazed at the revelation it provided linked to some of the other books I have read of late such as The Power of Now, The Law of Attraction and The Secret, all non Christian books but all modern spiritual books that offer useful insights that if your mind is open to lays out details already documented in the bible. This has offered me a renewed confidence in what I read in its pages as this modern thinking, or awakening as is it described is all there.
For example: "defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul"
the books I have read testify to this explaining that what we think is of massive importance as what we think when believed we feel. What we feel has an impact on us and all we do both positively and negatively. What we feel with absolute certainty will come to pass. Maybe this is why Jesus often says "your faith has healed you"
They go on to say where we focus our thoughts is also of massive importance. To focus in the past or to project thoughts about the future are both wrong. All we ever have is now. God provides us with a beautiful example of this as we read about the exiling Israelites. Manna is provided daily as is Quail for food giving them all that they need to eat. Even the Lord's prayer offers us a sign post to this truth "Give us TODAY our daily bread. Now is all we have and it is here we should focus all our thoughts for everything else is an illusion.
Moreover I have come to learn that time as we understand it is different to how God understands it. Recognising that Jesus could see all that was going to happen, a theme that runs throughout the Gospels (e.g. Jesus telling Peter he will deny Jesus three times before the cockerel crows) demonstrates that he had already accomplished what he came to do. His purpose, a purpose made up of powerful moments were simply a living out as was required. With this in mind him dying on the cross did not happen for me 2000 years ago, it happens right now, right now I have been redeemed and right now I have a chance to live a better life with Jesus as my Captain, my master, my friend, my councillor and my saviour.
I shall leave the last word to Jesus who again points to this truth about today, not then, not the future but today when he says: this
“Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom. Jesus answered him, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.”
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